Medicare up to the minute — 2025

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The new year is underway. Check out these Medicare reminders for 2025.

Attention, Medicare beneficiaries:

The standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B enrollees is $185 for 2025, up from $174.70 in 2024.
The annual deductible for all Medicare Part B beneficiaries is $257 in 2025, up from $240 in 2024.
The Medicare Part A inpatient hospital deductible beneficiaries pay if admitted to the hospital is $1,676 in 2025, up from $1,632 in 2024.
The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increase of 2.5% for 2025 means the average monthly retirement benefit will go up by about $50 per month starting in January.

What’s new in 2025?

Make sure you’re up to date with any new coverages to your Medicare benefits.

Here’s the list of what’s new in Medicare this year from “What’s new & important?” on page 2 of the “Medicare & You 2025” handbook, which is available online. Type “Medicare & You handbook 2025” in your search browser.

Lowering your prescription drug costs

Starting in 2025, your yearly out-of-pocket drug costs will be capped at $2,000. If you have Medicare drug coverage (Part D) and your drug costs are high enough to reach this cap, you don’t have to pay a copayment or coinsurance for Part D drugs for the rest of the calendar year. Starting in 2025, you’ll also have the option of spreading your drug costs across monthly payments throughout the year (page 83 in the handbook).

Managing your mental health and wellbeing

Medicare covers expanded mental health care, like intensive outpatient program services in certain locations and services from marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors (page 46). During your yearly “Wellness” visit, your health care provider can also use a health risk assessment to better understand your social needs and refer you for appropriate services and support (page 55 in the handbook).

More resources for caregivers

Medicare covers additional caregiver support, like training that helps your caregiver better care for you (page 33) and relief when they’re caring for family members in hospice care (page 27). Also, some people living with dementia and their caregivers may be able to get more support through a new pilot program (page 35 in the handbook).

Postal Service Health Benefits Program

Starting January 1, 2025, U.S. Postal Service employees, retirees and their families will get coverage through a new benefits program instead of through the Federal Employee Health Benefits program (page 89 in the handbook).

Changes to telehealth coverage

You can get telehealth services at any location in the U.S., including your home, through December 31, 2024. After this period, you must be in an office or medical facility located in a rural area for most telehealth services. However, you can still get certain telehealth services (like for mental and behavioral health) in your home no matter where you live (page 51 in the handbook).

Is this covered?

To learn if Medicare covers your test, item or service, check out this list to see what’s covered no matter where you live. If your item, service or test isn’t listed, talk with your doctor.

Attention, Medicare Advantage enrollees:

The Medicare Advantage open enrollment is going on now through March 31.

If you’re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan, now’s the time you can switch to a different Medicare Advantage Plan or switch to traditional Medicare (and join a separate Medicare drug plan). Note: You can only switch plans once during this time.

This period applies only to Medicare Advantage enrollees.